


Contractual Possession

by Deadly Night_Sh1ft (CrookedMath)



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon)
Genre: Betrayal, Character Death, Contracts, Decapitation, Demon Sex, Descent to Hell, Disembowelment, Erotica, F/M, Falling In Love, Freedom, Hate Sex, Horns as an Erogenous Zone, Humiliation, I REGRET NOTHING, Isaac as a Plot Device, Jealousy, Manipulation, Mutilation, Oral Sex, Possession, Resurrection, Romance, Rough Sex, Sexual Violence, Signs of Affection, Vampire drama, domination and submission, slave ring, wrath - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 08:27:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrookedMath/pseuds/Deadly%20Night_Sh1ft
Summary: Hector is stuck in a cursed relationship thanks to Lenore's manipulative ways. One day, his misery subconsciously summons a demon willing to help him break free of the curse and regain his freedom and maybe much more...for a price. The question is, who is the one really making the sacrifice?
Relationships: Hector (Castlevania)/Original Female Character(s), Hector/Lenore (Castlevania)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	Contractual Possession

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't been here in a while. I've been dealing with the emotional implications of my dad's death for a long time. It is what it is.  
> This is my only contribution to the series. I am not sorry about anything. I like Hector too much for my own good, and that's that. It's pretty obvious.  
> This contains just a smidge of elements from the game, but it's necessary to the plot, and because Hector looks hot with a sword, a lot of sex, romance, and, a new meaning for sword play. ***YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED***  
> Enjoy.

"Found you," a sultry female voice whispered, waking the broken man with a start. Before he could gather his bearings, the mysterious presence got right to the point. "Why have you summoned me? In fact, why have you been summoning me and fleeing from me since you were a boy, Hector?"

The man in question rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness in his new room. He anxiously searched for the source of the impatient voice and found a pair of shimmering amethysts hovering in the corner of the room. "Who are you? I don't recall summoning anyone," he sharply whispered back. 

Within the blink of an eye, the floating amethysts were inches from his face, sizing him up like a worthy fighting opponent. "You _did_ summon me," the shadow insisted.

"I didn't. I would remember using specific summoning spells," he argued. 

The dark figure pushed him onto his back. A pair of large breasts pressing against his chest was a dead giveaway that the stranger was a female. "You don't need silly rituals and spells, Hector. You were a voice crying out in the wilderness, and it was I who answered that desperate, lonely cry from deep inside _you_. Here and here," she said, tapping his head and chest to illustrate her point. "I've answered your summons, now you must tell me why you have summoned me."

"Shouldn't you already know if you've been following me around for years?"

"Reasons change as men grow older. I am not one to put words in another's mouth, especially yours. You are a man who has been robbed of his autonomy, therefore, the least I can do is wait for you to figure out why you have summoned me this time. I will say this, apparently I am necessary to you because you have not fled from me."

Hector sat up and ran his fingers over the red and black slave ring on his left hand. The strange woman guessed right in an indirect way without knowing it. "Wait," he called out to the departing shadow. "I want to be freed of this… thing. I want to go back to living my life as it was before all of this happened...before I was deceived into…" he trailed off, still unable to admit the truth out loud. 

"I can do many things for you, but I cannot return you to your former life."

"Why not?"

"I'm not omnipotent, Hector." The mysterious woman stepped into the moonlight, finally revealing herself to her summoner.

The Forgemaster stared wide eyed at the tall, perfectly proportioned woman with skin as black as pitch and hair equally as dark cascading down her back. She smiled at him, exposing a mouthful of deceptively sharp teeth, appearing almost canine upon closer examination. Her long fingers ended in unexpectedly delicate claws that were more seductive than fearsome. From what little he could see of her, he determined that her curled, ram-like horns suited her delicately structured face eerily lit by her own inner light. As more of her figure came into the moonlight, he became aroused by the armored, low cut, red leather dress with mile high slits on either side of the pleated skirt and matching thigh high boots. She was the portrait of lethal power and demonic, feminine grace. When he compared her powerful, feminine physique to Lenore's slim, petite frame, he found the former more appealing than the latter. Unlike the vampire, the horned woman seemed to rely upon her own inner strength in order to wield her power rather than cheap tricks and manipulation. He knew it was silly but decided to trust her with his life based on this reason. 

"As you have already guessed, I am not human, nor have I ever been," the violet eyed woman proudly stated.

"Are you what I think you are?" Hector asked in pure disbelief. 

"I am a demon," she confirmed. "Does that surprise you?" 

He nodded, mouthing the word "how". 

The demon chuckled at her summoner. "I come from a secret Hell where there is love, beauty, and freedom; where one can be as one wishes without fear of reprisal." The demon sat beside the broken man. "Hector, I am not at liberty to give you my name, so I want you to choose one for me. I know that it seems deceptive, but it's for _my own_ protection."

"Cassandra," he decided. 

"Acceptable. Now then, explain to me what you mean by 'this thing'," the demon now known as Cassandra implored. 

"It's this ring that is stuck to me," he began, showing her his hand with the accursed object encircling his index finger. He went on to explain in full, vivid detail how the slave ring came to possess him. He realized as he was relaying his story to the strange woman that it was his subconscious that reached out to her. He felt sick realizing that fact as he recalled the brand of diplomacy Lenore used in order to enslave him or "make him her pet" as she liked to describe it. "Then, she gave identical rings to her vampire 'sisters' so that the army of night creatures that I'm being forced to create will be loyal to them as well as to me and to _her_ ," he concluded. 

"That is quite the predicament, Hector. What happens if you try to remove it?"

"I haven't tried. I was told that it would feel like my heart is being torn out of my asshole, in a manner of speaking."

"That's not good." Cassandra tucked a stray lock of hair behind Hector's ear. "Let me be blunt. I wish to make a contract with you. Unlike humans and vampires, demons do not lie to or manipulate others that they contract with. In other words, I do not need to resort to laying on my back like a common whore and manipulate you into contracting with me while _you're_ in the throes of passion. Additionally, Lenore's 'sisters' are just as manipulative and eager to deceive you in order to get what they want as she is. Eventually, they will turn on each other as females always do when a man is involved," Cassandra explained.

"I'm less than human to them, even to Lenore," Hector reminded the demon. 

"On the contrary, you're still a man despite what those vampires say, including Lenore. Those females were human once, and jealousy, especially when a man is involved, has never left them." The horned woman cupped her summoner's face in her delicately clawed hands. "You are a man, not chattel. You are a human, not a pet. You are _Hector_ , not 'good boy'. You should not be weaponized against yourself. You should be treasured and adored."

"What do you mean by weaponized against myself?" Hector asked softly. 

The demon grazed the broken man's scalp with her claws as she slid her fingers through chin length gray waves, causing his heart to unexpectedly skip a beat. "She used your own despair, mistrust, loneliness, and desire as a weapon to get what she wanted from you." She took his hand in hers, tightly curling her long fingers around his. "In the Hell I'm from, we adore each other. It is our way to love without deception and to cultivate desire; because without it, no one can truly flourish."

"What do you think I desire?"

"Love and acceptance, which you will never find here," she answered. "As far as your present circumstances are concerned, I can guarantee your freedom from the curse and this place."

"It sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?" Hector skeptically questioned. "In fact, how do I know that you're not lying to me? You won't even give me your name."

"We went over this, and I understand your apprehension. The catch is entering a contract with me. The contract is the law of the land in Hell when dealing with people from other worlds. It is meant to protect me, not to ensnare you. I only lie when ordered to by the contract holder _or_ when the situation is dire enough to where _my_ survival depends upon it, at which point the contract is null and void," she explained. "The conditions are as follows: I reserve the right to nullify the contract if you betray me; you reserve the right to nullify the contract at any time for any reason; and I reserve the right to nullify the contract if I feel like my survival is at stake. You also reserve the right to make as many requests as you wish within reason so long as it doesn't interfere with the main objective. Finally, you should be aware that demons are _very_ sensual, therefore, it will be sealed in a manner of _my_ choosing.

"Now that I've given you the conditions up front, we can negotiate terms. I will never lie to you or betray you, and I expect the same from you. I will show you the affection you crave and give you pleasure that you have never known existed. I will follow all of your orders, unless they are detrimental to my survival. If you wish it, I will take you from this place into another that will welcome you with open arms." She softly smiled at him. "You can even bring your hammer and make all the pets you want. That's the closest that I can give you to your old life. Furthermore, while under contract, I own you; however, I am yours to do with as you please." She placed her finger over his lips, silencing an oncoming protest. "I don't literally own you, Hector. It's just the simplest way to translate the term from my language to yours without having to explain the deeper context. I'm sorry that it appears deceptive or objectifying, but I am legally bound to keep the terminology strictly business," she concluded. 

"Out of curiosity, what if I remained with you once you secure my freedom?" he questioned.

"If you hypothetically decide to remain with me, you'll finally have the satisfaction of knowing my name and much more. Honestly, I hope that you make that choice, but I will not force you. With that being said, do you wish to make a contract with me?" 

Hector reflected on the demon's terms and conditions and found them to be more beneficial to himself than he initially thought. Besides, she was an alluring beast and seemed sincere when she treated him like the man he is; with dignity, respect, and affection. However, at the same time he was conflicted about how he felt about Lenore. The way she manipulated him into swearing himself to her in the heat of passion haunted him. Now he was dealing with this stranger echoing a similar sentiment, only this time the circumstances were different. This time, he was given the freedom to choose his own fate by a straightforward creature from the pits of a version of Hell he didn't know existed. 

"Yes," he finally responded. "Do you plan on flaunting this in front of Lenore?"

"No matter how a contract is sealed with a demon, a vampire will always know by the scent. To put you at ease, a sliver of your hair around my finger instead of identical marks on our flesh will be the seal of our contract. It's not permanent and will disappear when the contract ends," she assured. "It is now your turn to name your terms."

"I can't think of anything else right now besides getting my hammer and sword back. My mind is somewhere else, if you know what I mean," he mumbled. 

"Was she _that_ good?"

"She was, but that's not _who_ I'm thinking about," he replied as he swept his eyes up and down the demon's body. 

"I _am_ a demon, Hector. It's a well known fact that my people are superior to all other creatures in that respect." She grinned, knowing what he was suddenly thinking. "Let the little vampire 'diplomat' walk in on us. She can see how to properly treat a man when he's inside her. The only begging in my bed is for more of each other. Diplomacy is for the war room, not the bedroom." Cassandra eased her way on top of the Forgemaster as well as into his heart. "You're a beautiful man, Hector. If I could, I'd make love to you, but the feeling must be mutual."

He was speechless by the demon's flattery, especially when she indirectly declared her love for him. He detected sincerity in the soft glow of her purple eyes and gave in to his urge to kiss her. He drifted kisses down the smooth, onyx surface of her skin; the subtle vibrations of the growling purr in her throat arousing him until his entire body ached. He half expected the demon to praise him with a condescending "good boy", but she did just the opposite. He fully embraced her when the soft sound of his name escaped her lips as he trailed kisses up her neck, stopping at her lips in a passionate kiss. 

_Say my name again, Cassandra._

"The contract is made, my beautiful treasure, and I will fulfill my obligation to you by any means necessary," she declared as a strand of gray wound around her middle finger. "From now on until you are freed from this place, I own you, but I am also yours bound by the seal of this contract." The contractor leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I always want to be yours beyond the context of a contractual relationship. Don't respond, unless your feelings are mutual and sincere."

Hector stared intently at Cassandra, almost tempted to respond but kept silent. He knew she knew that he was still struggling with trust when it came to people, especially since he'd recently been deceived by a close friend, followed by a potential lover. He also knew that she knew that she was ordinarily considered last on the list of the type of women he'd sleep with, and that's if he bothered to consider her type at all, yet, for some reason, he found her extremely attractive. The only way he knew how to distract himself from such conflicted emotions was to satisfy his carnal curiosity with the demonic entity settled comfortably on his lap.

"I wonder what would happen if I touch your horns?" Hector murmured.

Cassandra shook her head in a futile attempt to ward off his curious hand. "Not the horns, Hector," she protested, fruitlessly trying to wriggle free from his grasp. He reached up and gently ran his hand over the ridged surface of her curled horns, eliciting a reaction unbecoming of a demon. "Don't tease me, Hector," she moaned. "Don't you know that our horns are an erogenous zone when touched the right way?" She pressed her body against his, seemingly offering her horns to his teasing touch as she fondled him.

"I think I like teasing you, and now you're teasing me."

"Am not," she pouted, further melting into his gentle touch as he continued to let his hand memorize the surface of each horn. "Hector, if you don't stop teasing me, I don't know what I'll do to you."

"What will you do to me?" he challenged. 

Cassandra finally managed to free herself from Hector's grasp and maneuvered herself between his legs. "Don't worry, I won't bite," she said with a reassuring smile. Before he could voice any further concern, she had him in _her_ grasp. As promised, she used caution while she serviced him. Her eyes lit up when she discovered his weaknesses; his greatest one being when she grazed her claws between his legs while slowly swirling her tongue up and down his full length. A fist twisting through her hair signaled that he was close, prompting her to devour him whole. Her amethyst eyes flashed as she feathered her claws over his hips and back down between his legs, bringing him even closer to the edge of ecstacy. As she made her last pass over his full length, she gladly feasted on every last drop he had to offer. 

"That's not fair, Cassandra," Hector breathed as she trailed ghostly kisses up the bronzed surface of his neck, making sure to pay special attention to the sensitive flesh just below his right ear. "Cassandra…" he trailed off, too aroused to complete a coherent thought. 

"I told you demons are superior."

The obsidian skinned woman straddled the Forgemaster and passionately kissed him. Her eyes lit up when she felt his hands wander up the backs of her thighs, then slip his fingers inside her. He became even more aroused by her natural lack of body hair as he explored her hidden place. "Are all demons like this?" he asked while he delighted in her desire for him. 

"Just the females," she replied, eyes glinting in the darkness as she carefully removed her dress, revealing her full naked monochrome glory. 

Hector's fingertips skimmed the demonic woman's soft skin, taking care to pay special attention to the contours of her ample breasts. "I never thought I'd say this about a demon in my entire life, but you're incredibly beautiful."

Cassandra gazed down into Hector's ice blue eyes with a soft, yet lusty light shining in her own. "I don't know if I should feel flattered or insulted."

He wasn't sure how to respond without sounding like he was paying her lip service. He unexpectedly found himself pinned down beneath the demon by the wrists. His heart raced as he stared into her piercing amethysts with half lidded eyes, an expression of pure longing in their icy blue depths. "I wasn't insulting you."

"I know," she replied, lacing her fingers through his as she bent down and sweetly kissed him.

As their sweetness bloomed into passion, the strange woman slipped her fingers through soft gray waves while he drifted his hands down her sides. She pressed herself against him as he positioned her over his aching arousal. "I want you," Hector murmured, surprising himself with the sudden sincerity of his words. 

"Then, you shall have me," Cassandra seductively replied as she slid down his full length, all the way to the hilt. She started slowly at first, teasing him, then grew more ferocious as she rolled and snapped her hips astride him. She arched her back, crying out in rapture as she engaged in an act of wanton autoeroticism while the Forgemaster was still inside her.

The hypnotic way she moved and the sensuality she exuded when she showed herself to him was addicting enough to obliterate his conflicted feelings about Lenore. Her violet eyes exploded with eerie light when she climaxed, calling out his name as her flesh strangled his. Hector latched onto the lusty demon's undulating hips, high on the ecstacy of her devouring warmth. "Cassandra, I'm-"

The demon pulled the object of her affection up to her by the hair and wrapped her legs around his waist, taking him in deeper. "Though I own you, I am yours. Lose yourself as you please with me," she meaningfully responded with a breathtaking kiss. She took him in deep as he thrusted up hard; human and demon moving as one. Cassandra constricted _all_ of herself around Hector, calling out his name, as he lost himself deep inside her with a rapturous cry of his own.

~~•~~

The contractor wasn't one to waste time whispering sweet words in another's ear when she had a job to do, especially one that involved the scent of another woman. She assured Hector that she would follow his orders to the letter, including locating Issac and proving her theory about the vampire sisterhood cannibalizing itself because of him.

_"Why does Issac matter?"_

_"I have a feeling that he's going to hunt me down and kill me because, in his mind, he believes that I betrayed Dracula. That man is fanatically devoted to him and believes wholeheartedly in what he seeks," Hector informed._

_"The total annihilation of the human race, even at the cost of his own life," the demon guessed._

_"Yes."_

_"Though I detest using it, I must employ the sorcery from my world because time is of the essence. I will seek out a secret place to do what must be done."_

That was one agonizing day ago, and he was wondering if something terrible happened to her. He hoped that she didn't get caught following his orders by Striga. Despite her strength, the warrior vampire would still pose a significant threat to her. 

He inwardly groaned when Lenore strolled into his room with a collar and leash dangling from her dainty hand. "Time for walkies," she chirped, swiftly fitting him with the humiliating objects. 

He silently followed her out the door, glad to be out of his room but angry to be treated less than human. As he fell into step beside her she praised him with a condescending "good boy", which served as more fuel for his slow burning rage, especially when he caught glimpses of their matching rings. 

_Lying bitch._

"There he is," Cassandra whispered to herself when Lenore and Hector appeared. "I've heard enough disinterest in my treasure's life out of the lovers, now I want to hear _her_ interest." The demon listened carefully, her acute hearing picking up every word of their conversation as if they were standing next to her. 

"I'll ask you again. Why did you trick me?"

"I didn't trick you," Lenore haughtily defended. "You swore your loyalty to me, and that's that."

"There's a difference between loyalty and slavery."

"You're not a slave. You're my pet. There's a difference."

"If that's true, then why did you call this ring a slave ring when you referred only to me?"

Lenore had no answer. Instead, she insisted that they return to his room to which he agreed due to the cold temperature. "Good boy," she condescendingly praised as he hurriedly walked back into the warm castle. 

The infuriated contractor glared violet daggers at the pair as they disappeared from her eyesight. She was torn between searching for Isaac and watching them. As a contractor, she had orders to follow, so she chose to locate Isaac, then continue spying on the sisterhood. If she had time before dawn, she would turn her attention back to the "diplomat" and the Forgemaster. 

Cassandra drew a circle in front of her, opening a "window" in space and time, and commanded it to show her Isaac's whereabouts. A blur of images passed by for a split second before landing on a bald, dark skinned man dressed in clothing suited for an arid environment. He appeared to be in a town center battling unwelcoming natives alongside his growing army of powerful night creatures. She carefully observed Isaac's tactics and took special note of how his forging tool doubled as an effective weapon against his foes. She shut the window, concluding that the second Forgemaster was a madman hellbent on revenge for a deed done under false pretenses. It was also her judgement that he and his increasing army were approximately three days away from their present location. 

The demon opened a new window and commanded it to show her the mastermind. A self satisfied grin curled around the corners of her lips as she got a prime view of three out of the four vampire sisters sitting at their round table having a heated discussion about Lenore's recent distraction.

"I don't like it," Carmilla sneered. "I don't care how Lenore went about securing its loyalty. What she's doing with it is disgusting."

"You have to admit she is formidable," Morana pointed out. 

"We should have just killed the useless human and used it as food as soon as you brought it here. Part of it is your fault," Striga argued.

"She hardly shows up to meet with us because she's too busy 'training' her fucking pet," the white haired vampire huffed, slamming her wine glass on the table. 

"You have a point, Carmilla," Morana conceded. "We're supposed to be sisters loyal to each other. _She's_ the one who gave us these loyalty rings, yet she's never here because she's always with an inferior creature."

"We still need that thing alive because our mercenaries are too small in number, so it has to be Lenore that gets taught a lesson," Carmilla said sharply, eyes full of crimson malice.

The demon shut the window, taking note of the seeds of betrayal being planted by the vampire sisters. Now she had proof that her theory was correct.

It was still dark but approaching dawn, so she decided to check in on her summoner. She opened a smaller window, commanding it to let her see him. An unwanted feeling of jealousy briefly burned in her chest as she happened to catch the pair in the climactic part of sexual intercourse. Unbridled rage lit violet red flames in demonic eyes when Lenore ground her backside against Hector as he fucked her from behind, both of them crying out in ecstacy together. A wave of relief slightly calmed the demon's jealous rage when he stealthily refused to kiss her. Despite that, the vampire still praised him with a condescending "good boy" as soon as he pulled out, which reignited Cassandra's fury tenfold. 

Just as she was about to shut the window and go somewhere to vent her fury, an interesting new development took place. 

"You reek of demon," Lenore complained, disdainfully glaring at her pet. 

"I've been creating more night creatures than I usually do, even when I was recruited for Dracula's cause," Hector excused. 

"If you say so. Be a good boy and wash it off. I don't have time to make sure you did it, so I'll trust that the smell is gone next time I see you."

"When will I see you again?"

"I haven't seen my sisters in a while. We're still planning our territory expansion, you know." She smiled and ruffled his hair like a dog. "I'll be back very soon. Be a good boy, and keep making us more night creatures. Remember, you belong to me," she said, pointing at her ring.

"I know," he grumbled, turning his back on her so she wouldn't be able to see the disgusted expression on his face.

With another condescending "good boy", the vampire made a cheap egress, vanishing in a puff of smoke before the rising sun could burn her to ash. 

"Hector, why are you like this?" Cassandra whispered as she shut the window on half of the source of her inappropriate jealous rage. As petty revenge, she would make her full report the following night instead of immediately following the conclusion of her assignment. In her opinion, he seemed to take greater pleasure with Lenore than he did with her, and it hurt her to the core. If it was anyone else, she'd brush it off as a matter of the other party having bad taste, but not Hector. She couldn't bear the pain of his rejection of her and especially his displeasure with her. Furthermore, witnessing the way Lenore treated Hector first-hand only twisted the knife in deeper. She was beginning to wonder if he enjoyed being treated like a dog. It was almost enough to make her consider nullifying the contract.

_What if I'm letting these unnatural feelings cloud my judgement?_

The demon that never sleeps finally needed sleep; not because she was tired, but because she needed to separate feelings from judgement and find a logical middleground.

~~•~~

Cassandra robotically made her full report to the Forgemaster, confirming his suspicion regarding Isaac's mission of revenge, including the distance between their location and his in addition to the increasing number of night creatures in his army. She also told him about the plot Carmilla was tentatively planning against Lenore, thus proving that she was correct about the sisterhood of vampires cannibalizing itself over him.

Hector gave a somewhat approving nod but was still disappointed that the demon didn't report back to him in a timely manner. "Why did you wait until now to tell me instead of when you were supposed to?"

Silence.

"Tell me, Cassandra."

She sat on her haunches in front of her summoner with her head bowed. "When I return home, I must purge."

"Why? What did you do?"

"I saw you and Lenore _together_ , and I became..." she trailed off again and shook her head, still refusing to admit her folly.

Hector lifted her head up and looked into her dimly lit violet eyes. "Became what?" he asked softly.

"Jealous and enraged," she finally admitted. "Because when you were with Lenore, you seemed to enjoy yourself more. I was furious when I saw for myself how she treated you. I began to wonder if you actually _liked_ being treated like a dog. It's wrong to feel jealousy because it is a form of self hatred. I'm a demon. Jealousy is beneath me, therefore, I must purge upon my return home." 

The Forgemaster chuckled at the contractor, realizing that she peeped on his tryst with the vampire. "Lenore is good, but she's boring; however, if I tell her that, it's not a good outcome for me. She might look weak, but she has at least ten times more strength than I do. Trust me, I was on the business end of her temper when I tried to claim my own freedom from the castle prison. For now, I have to play along with her no matter how much she degrades me." He slid his long fingers through her hair, taking secret pleasure in its thick softness. "I don't like how I'm treated at all. She tricked me. I told you that already."

"Don't say things you don't mean just to get on my good side and benefit yourself. That's too painful for me to tolerate because of the way I feel about you." She looked him square in the eye. "I wish I could tell you directly, but as long as I'm under contract, I'm not allowed to." She hung her head again, shaking it free of his gentle grasp. "I'm sorry that I'm a hypocrite. I've-"

The Forgemaster cut the demon off with a soft kiss. "Cassandra, I have two more requests for you to fulfill in our contract. I want you to tell me your name and what is forbidden for you to say to me."

"I already told you I can't do that until I return home," the demonic woman reminded him.

"I know."

"Are you telling me that you want to remain with me of your own free will?"

"Yes."

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes."

"I am delighted to always be yours. One day I hope that you will feel the same way about me, but I will not force you." She slid her clawed fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry for my inappropriate jealousy," she said apologetically. ”I never want to hurt you for any reason. I hope that you will forgive me."

Hector felt flattered and a bit confused by the embarrassed demon. Jealousy was normal for humans and vampires, but for her people it was a foreign concept. When she revealed her capability of feeling such an emotion, he wondered if it affected contractors differently.

"It does because we're exposed to it for extended periods of time. The longer we're exposed, the greater the chance that unnatural emotions will take their toll on us. It's like an infection that slowly spreads within the body. Many contractors have to purge themselves of acquired unnatural emotions upon arriving home so that they can live peacefully among the people once more," she explained. "I haven't been home in over fifty years, Hector. I have killed under contract, and now I've experienced the unthinkable. I believe it's time for me to retire from contracting and live a peaceful life."

They sat in silence as the night turned to day, finally giving the gradually hopeful man the opportunity to see Cassandra out of the shadows. He noticed that her hair was actually indigo instead of black and that her obsidian skin had an ethereal luster to it. Aside from her horns and claws, she looked more human than a vampire. Even her muscle tone could be mistaken for that of a human female's until one looked close enough to realize that it hid a sensual savagery waiting to be unleashed. He could only describe her as a rare, exotic beauty; her intimidating features a mere trick of the shadows.

He unconsciously laced his fingers through hers and only noticed that he did when his heart suddenly sped up. He looked down and saw that she reciprocated his actions. She turned to look at him, a serene light flickering in her wide, slightly upturned violet eyes. Given her stature, he almost expected her to have sharp features, but they were as delicate and hyperfeminine as her facial structure. Her high cheekbones and full lips were too alluring to take his eyes off of. With an hourglass figure and long legs, the portrait of demonic, hyperfeminine lethality was complete.

_She makes Lenore look like a man._

"I do?" Cassandra asked, having read his thoughts.

Hector looked away and nodded. He wanted to slap himself for suddenly feeling like a virgin schoolboy. That's when he realized that he already developed feelings for the demonic woman. He wasn't sure if it was love, but if it developed into it, he didn't mind. He based his feelings on her adoration of him rather than her exotic beauty, although that was part of it. Not only that, she provided him the affection and acceptance that he craved and left him free to choose his own fate. In her own way she submitted herself to him without sacrificing her own dominance in the process. That kind of power dynamic between them was not just something that he could live with, it was ideal.

"Cassandra, you're incredibly beautiful," the gray haired man complimented as he gently slid his fingers down the surface of one of her horns.

"Don't tease me like this, Hector," the demon moaned.

"I'm going to keep teasing you until you admit that you like it."

She yielded to Hector's gentle torture as she laid flat on her back, clutching him tightly. "I like it, but only if it's you," she breathlessly admitted to the aroused man.

"Would you ever betray me?"

"I will never betray you, even after the contract has been fulfilled. I am yours, Hector, and I always want to be yours."

"I, too, will never betray you," he responded with a deeply passionate kiss, leading to the bottom halves of their clothes being removed. 

The demon's hungry body eagerly pulled him in as soon as he entered her. She crossed her legs behind his back, her flesh drawing him in deeper with each thrust; always reciprocating and moving as one. She took equal delight when he called out her name in the heat of passion as he did when she called out his. She carved passionate red lines into bronzed skin as she consumed him, feeling his heat explode inside her. 

"Hector, don't stop," Cassandra demanded, fiery amethysts burning with raw passion.

"I wasn't planning on it," he replied, impulsively licking her claws clean of his own blood.

The Forgemaster viciously reentered the demonic woman once he had her long onyx legs held securely to his chest. He internally smiled down at the demon writhing beneath him as he conquered her. She squeezed her own breasts, further enticing him with her sensuality. She stretched out, arching her back, and shredded the sheets with her claws as the Forgemaster paved his way deeper into the Hellish beauty. Cassandra cried out Hector's name, her all consuming flesh drawing more of his desire out of him as he continued his earthly conquest over Hell. 

Without warning, she turned the tables in her favor and firmly clamped her ankles around his neck, using it as leverage to wage a counter-strike against him. He was fascinated by her amazing ability to control him from a seemingly submissive position. What women did on top, the demon effortlessly mastered on her back. 

"Cassandra, I don't know how much more of you I can take," he said through a strained grunt as he released inside her.

Hector regained control over Cassandra and moved her legs into a position where he could see _all_ of her and slowed to a steady, fluid pace. He relished in the contractor engaging in acts of sensual autoeroticism, which caused both of them to simultaneously climax. He thought about fucking the overflowing demon from behind but preferred that she continued to show him every part of what makes her a Hellbound woman. With his decision made, he switched to a more powerful, dominant way of handling her while she was on her back and fully exposed to him. She called out his name begging him to move faster and harder as she writhed beneath him in ecstatic euphoria. Though she also begged him to go deeper, it was really she who was sucking him in deep; _all_ of him, down to the very last drop.

_Demons are, indeed, superior._

The spent human collapsed beside the onyx skinned demon, drawing her into his warm embrace. "You make me feel human again," he said softly. "I…" he trailed off, too afraid to admit his true desire to the unusual woman that has steadily been stealing his heart over a mere matter of days.

_I also want to be yours, Cassandra._

~~•~~

The contractor and her summoner spent most of the day naked, entwined, and in deep conversation. Hector felt an unusual sense of familiarity as he listened to the demon tell him about the secret Hell she calls home. They shared a common philosophy on the appropriate use of magic in general; however, she was a master practitioner of sorcery, which dove into a deeper realm than mere magic.

_Even in a loving Hell, the dark arts prevail._

Her ambiguous opinion on necromancy made him question why he followed Dracula in the first place. He always hoped that the vampire overlord was telling the truth, but deep down he knew that he was lying to him. A tsunami of guilt crashed over him as she droned on about her disdain for using sorcery while on contract and her ethical reasons why.

"He told me it was going to be a cull. He said that he would be merciful... that he would keep a supply of humans for food and treat them humanely," Hector murmured. "I have been lied to by everyone that I've put my trust into... everyone who claimed to be my friend."

Cassandra silently absorbed the broken man's lamentations. "It is the fate of those with your power to be shunned, betrayed, feared, and despised by others. Isaac has hardened his heart against the world, but you still retain a rare kind of purity in yours despite everything you've endured throughout your life. You are naturally inclined to use your power over death to do no harm." She sat up and gazed down at the man she wished would be her lover, a soft smile on her face. "You have a rare inner light that shines its brightest when you feel loved and accepted. It's painful to see it snuffed out." She bent down and tenderly kissed him, her twin hearts racing when he returned her kiss with twice as much tenderness.

"Cassandra, you are mine," Hector said softly.

"Yes, I will always be yours for as long as you will have me," she replied.

"Yet, your ownership of me has a deeper context than what is implied." 

"Yes, but in a contractual sense. The best way to describe it is a bond between heart and mind. When the contract is made we are united until my job is done, after which time everything we know about each other is erased from our memories."

"I understand now why exposure to us can become harmful to you over time." The Forgemaster sat up and cupped the horned woman's face in his hands. "I'm sorry that I hurt you."

"Hector..." she trailed off, captivated by his compassionate affection.

"Why are you like this? I keep expecting you to betray me, even though you are completely different from anyone else I've met. I know that the contract will end, but I don't want to forget everything I've learned about you." He took a deep, somewhat shaky breath. "I want to be yours, just as you are mine."

"Don't say things that you don't mean, Hector. I have certain feelings for you that I cannot express, and I don't want to feel like I pressured you into reciprocating them. The guilt I would feel is a pain that I cannot bear."

Hector lifted the demonic woman's head up. "You have always assured me that I am free to choose my own fate, and _I choose_ to be yours. Don't feel guilty. You didn't coerce me into anything. This is _my_ decision."

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes."

The contractor embraced the gray haired man, overjoyed that his feelings were at least partially mutual with hers. She pulled back slightly and drifted her claws down his bare chest. "I can feel your yearning heart, Hector," she murmured, feeling his racing heart beneath her fingertips.

The summoner reciprocated her actions, only to be corrected. He studied the demon as she placed one hand behind her back and the other on her side just beneath her right breast. "I can feel your yearning hearts," he echoed.

They locked eyes, silently communicating their secrets with each other. In that moment, Hector knew that he loved her. Timing meant nothing. Race meant nothing. Age meant nothing. Gender meant nothing because he'd still feel the same if Cassandra presented herself as a male. She was the light- _his_ light-in the shadows.

"I am yours," the demon submitted.

"I belong to you," he swore.

Cassandra drew Hector closer and affectionately nuzzled her horns under his chin. "I wish I could _tell_ you how I feel about you, Hector."

The Forgemaster kissed the crown of her head. "I think I might have a good idea, and I feel the same way, too."

~~•~~

Meanwhile, the vampire sisterhood was embroiled in a heated confrontation with Hector's "mistress". Striga and Morana struggled to keep straight faces as Carmilla insulted Lenore for being intimate with a source of food.

"I already told you, he's good at sex, and he's just a pet to be trained. That's it," the diplomat defended.

"It's inferior to us, and yet, you went off and adopted it," Carmilla retorted. "Because of that, it means _you're_ into bestiality."

Striga and Morana laughed at Carmilla's wild accusation. "She has a point, Lenore," Striga said between snickers.

"Why do you even care? He swore loyalty to me, and as long as I'm fucking him, he'll stay loyal." She smugly smirked at her fellow vampire sisters. "Besides, he enjoys being my pet. I never hear him complain."

"I wonder about that, Lenore. It looked like it would rather be my meal the last time you graced us with your presence," the warrior vampire pointed out.

"Shut up, Striga," Lenore snapped.

"Enough!" Carmilla shouted. "Lenore, you're not playing with your pet tonight. We have to strategize our expansion, and we need your input. I don't care about your so-called role of keeping the peace. After all, _you're_ the one who stressed the importance of loyalty by giving us these rings."

The disappointed diplomat reluctantly agreed to participate and took her place at the round table. "How long do I have to stay here?"

"All night," Carmilla replied.

"If I get bored I might eat your pet," Striga taunted.

"Striga! I said we needed it alive!"

"She knows, Carmilla. She was just joking," Morana defended on behalf of her lover.

"If _I_ get bored, I'll leave and train my pet a little more," Lenore huffed after hearing Striga's vicious taunt.

The mastermind angrily reminded her that she agreed to participate with them in the discussion for the entire night. Another heated argument ensued with Lenore defending her position on how she supposedly feels about her pet. The rest of the sisterhood maintained that her feelings were more than just a means of manipulation and sexual gratification. They pointed out her frequent absences and her current urgency to return to him as proof to back up their claim. Another snide comment from Striga set Lenore off, and things got borderline physical. Morana stepped in to prevent Striga from striking Lenore while Carmilla shielded her from the warrior's oncoming attack.

"This is not how a sisterhood is supposed to rule," she barked, glaring at Lenore. " _We_ are supposed to be loyal to _each other_."

"You may be formidable, but we are beginning to question your loyalty to us, Lenore," Morana rejoined.

"Are you testing me?" the manipulative diplomat asked.

"Maybe, maybe not," the white haired vampire smugly replied.

Lenore had no rebuttal worth wasting her breath on her sisters in vampiric rulership and stormed out of the room in search of solace in the arms of a pet that she believed was wrapped around her little finger.

"That bitch!" Carmilla snapped.

"I can't believe she defied you," Morana laughed. "I think it's time for you to teach her a lesson."

"I'm going to cut her off and make that pet of hers suffer," the mastermind fumed.

"This I'd like to see," Striga whispered to her lover.

~~•~~

"It's decided. Tonight, we will make our egress," Cassandra announced.

"I have limited freedom to move about the castle, so I might be able to retrieve my hammer and sword on my own," Hector mumbled, clearly unsure of how he'd be able to begin going about achieving the task.

"You don't seem so sure about that."

"The room is under guard by vampires."

She sighed, frustrated at having to use sorcery to get the job done. "There is a way that I can get you there and back undetected, but you have two minutes before the window closes. It is meant for viewing, not transporting." She made a narrow slit in the center of the room. "Tell me where you need to go."

Upon his instruction, she commanded the slit to open wide enough to allow him passage to a separate area of the castle. She carefully observed him gather the aforementioned items. The seconds ticked down as the Forgemaster narrowly escaped being trapped inside a place he wasn't allowed to be at night.

"Thank you," he said between adrenaline fueled pants.

The horned woman softly smiled, violet eyes nostalgically glimmering as she delicately traced the outlines of the forging tool's geometric patterns embossed within the hammerhead. "It reminds me of home," the homesick contractor whispered, letting go of the Forgemaster's hands.

"It reminds you of home?" She nodded. "How so?"

"It's a common design in Hell." She propped her armored boots up on the bed and encouraged him to feel the metal overlays wrapped around each calf.

"So it does," he agreed. "I wonder if I was subconsciously thinking of you when I made this?"

"It's possible."

"You said that you would make love to me if you could, remember?" The sudden change of topic, taking the demon by surprise. 

"Only if the feeling is mutual," she reminded him.

"Make love to me."

"Is that an order?"

"A request."

Cassandra's amethyst eyes burned bright as she hid her face behind an indigo curtain. "Don't lead me on, Hector. I can't bear to be hurt by you."

"I'm not leading you on. You have the choice to tell me no if you think that I'm lying to you."

She lifted her head and stared directly into her summoner's ice blue eyes, twin hearts racing the longer she stayed captivated by his beauty. "Hector, l..." She looked down at the strand of gray encircling her middle finger, desperately wishing that she could express how deeply in love she is with her summoner. 

"Cassandra…I have something I need to tell you, but I don't know if you'll believe me." Hector leaned forward and whispered his supposedly unbelievable secret in her ear.

Demonic amethysts locked onto the Forgemaster's ice blue eyes. "If I had the ability to cry, I would; not from sadness but from joy."

The pair collided in an intimate kiss that grew into a passionate inferno. Hector covertly teased Cassandra, taking advantage of his secret knowledge of her by stroking the underside of her horns while teething the array of piercings in each of her ears. He hissed through grit teeth as she dug her claws into the bare skin of his back. The only way he could break away from her carnivorous grip was to tease her in other ways. She finally let go as he slowly drifted kisses down to her dark warmth. She impatiently moaned as he intentionally avoided what made her a woman in favor of paying homage to her toned thighs; gradually working his way to the center, then switching sides until both legs were properly given his affection.

He had never tasted demon before, so he chose to savor her rather than devour her. The exotic beauty was a delicacy all her own with a distinctly sweet taste unlike Lenore or any human woman he'd ever been with. Even though he devoured the others, he remembered their tastes. Unlike them, Cassandra was not one to be devoured. She wasn't even one to be savored anymore. She was now a woman to be worshipped. He knew that he was pleasing his demonic goddess every time she called out his name, begging him to stop as he gently flicked his tongue over the bundle of nerves precious only to women. The longer he supplicated to the alluring beast, the more aroused he became. He didn't even care that he lost himself without the benefit of penetration while he paid homage to her.

The demon violently pulled him up by the hair, abruptly putting an end to his supplications. "Hector, I can't take much more of your teasing," she said in a quivering voice as she let go of his hair, drawing him into her embrace. "I want you, Hector. I've always wanted you. I've always wanted you to make love to me."

The gray haired man eased his way into the demonic woman's warmth. "No one has ever said anything like that to me. Say it again, please. It... it makes me feel human again."

Cassandra repeated her sentiments as Hector tenderly dominated her. His slow, deep, rhythmic thrusts catapulted the contractor into an alternate dimension of total bliss. She twined her legs through his as she lifted her hips to meet his with each thrust. Her warmth became hot with his desire as her flesh strangled his in the height of their ecstasy. A disappointed growl escaped her when he suddenly pulled out. 

"Come here," Hector beckoned, pulling the demon onto his lap with a sweet kiss. He ghosted his hands along the contours of her body and gently turned her around, doing the same with her back. She knew what he wanted based on her own secret knowledge of his desires and used him to tease herself until he lost his self control at the precipice of penetration. "That's not fair, Cassandra," he pouted.

"It's perfectly fair, Hector. It's about time that I get to tease you back," she retorted as she began to tease him again.

He caught on to her antics and took back control by grabbing her hips, thrusting up hard, ensuring that he penetrated the demonic tease. He consumed her protest with a mind bending kiss as he held her securely against his chest. The passion burned bright in his demonic goddess' eyes as they moved in unity with each other. The sweet sound of her voice whispering his name as their bodies melded into one cohesive unit was a trigger for him to sacrifice a little more of his vigor into her dark temple. 

"I want to feel _all_ of you deep inside me, Hector; from your throbbing flesh to your burning desire," Cassandra implored as their carnal act of love reached its climax. 

Their passion was all consuming as they shared a loving kiss reserved only for each other; merging together, becoming One in a dark union. 

"I love you," Hector professed. "I belong to you, and you are mine."

"I am yours, and you belong to me," Cassandra responded. 

She arched her back, returning the loving kiss that was theirs and theirs alone. He held her tighter, drilling in deeper as their kiss grew more intense until he cried out in rapture when he came to completion inside her.

"I love you, Cassandra," Hector repeated. "And, I think that the feeling is mutual on your part."

Cassandra smiled but said nothing to confirm or deny Hector's sentiments.

~~•~~

The clacking of high heels outside of Hector's room sent panicked chills down his spine. He knew it was Lenore, and he knew by the way her shoes hit the stone floor that she was _pissed_. He was under enough suspicion regarding the demon, and if the master manipulator caught them together, it would virtually destroy his chance to escape. He voiced his concern to Cassandra, and although she was sorely disappointed, she understood and agreed to wait for him elsewhere in the castle. To put her anxiety to rest, he assured her that he would be quick and ordered her to wait nearby.

"It still reeks of demon," the vampire fumed as she burst into Hector's room, forgetting to lock the door behind her.

"I made more night creatures today than I can count," the Forgemaster lied.

"Good boy." The vampire plopped down on the bed, beckoning him to sit beside her. As she droned on about the confrontation with her sisters, he grew more agitated. "You don't seem to care," she pouted.

"I'm not interested in that. I'm interested in the reason you're really here."

Lenore seductively smiled and leaned forward, attempting to kiss the gray haired man but was pinned down by the wrists instead. "So, you want to play rough tonight?"

"Yes, and I want to skip the foreplay." She opened her mouth to protest but was quickly cut off. "That's how one plays rough, Lenore," he added.

Getting the hint, she stripped down to her usual shelf bra, garters, and silk stockings. Hector made it a point to toss her panties as far away as possible. When pressed to undress, he refused and reminded her that they were playing rough. She reluctantly agreed to his terms and obediently spread her legs, prepared for penetration. 

The master manipulator got far more than what she bargained for as soon as Hector made his rough entry. She yelped as he dragged her halfway down the bed in order to accommodate him as he stood above her and pounded every inch of what makes him a man inside her. She writhed beneath his iron grip on her slim thighs as he poured his hatred into her. 

She wanted more of his sexual aggression but would never admit it to anyone, especially him. Instead, she lewdly communicated it with her body by opening her legs as wide as she could while under his control. She was enthralled enough with the experience to demand that he fuck her harder and faster and fill her over capacity. He readily complied; not because she told him to, but because he was exacting his revenge on her by using his body as a weapon. When he finally had enough of her and knew she hadn't had enough of him, he pulled out and spat his rage onto her body, degrading her in his own way. He made sure that he left a lasting reminder of him on her expensive lingerie before he tucked himself back into his trousers and slipped out the door.

Cassandra jumped down from the rafters, gracefully landing on her feet in front of him. She handed Hector his sword and hammer while she sniffed the air. "Excellent strategy, but we must hurry. She's on her way to find you. I can smell her," she warned.

"I did leave her in quite an undignified state," Hector admitted.

"Good. Let's go," Cassandra ordered.

The pair decided to take the direct route; however, they didn't get very far by the time the manipulative diplomat caught up with them. Hector shouted words of warning, solidifying the demon's suspicion of a vampiric scent looming over them. She turned around and he was lost in pulsing darkness stinking of the undead.

The demon's violet eyes burned with fury when her adversary materialized from a small colony of bats with the Forgemaster in her clutches. "So, you're the one who's been making my pet stink," Lenore mocked. She violently took his hand in hers, presenting the matching rings to the furious demon's viewing displeasure. "He swore himself to me, and there's nothing you can do about it. Did he tell you that the rings have a spell cast on them that link us together?" She threw Hector down and glared at him. "The only real person in the room is talking right now, so be a good boy and stay right there while I deal with this _thing_ , then I'll punish you later for lying to me."

"I know exactly how you manipulated him," Cassandra icily replied. "Where _I_ come from, it is customary to treat a man well and with adoration when he is inside her. Demons do not resort to manipulation and deceit in or out of the bedroom."

She stalked toward the pair, her demonic appearance becoming more horrifying with every step she took. The dips between the ridges of her horns filled with eyes of fire. Five flaming garnets opened on her forehead, giving her a total of seven wrathful eyes bearing down on the shorter woman. Her claws and teeth elongated, and her voice lost its sultriness to animalistic fury.

"You were fucking _that_?" Lenore spat, disgusted by the demonic woman standing before her.

The vampire's haughty attitude triggered the contractor's rage. She leaped at the diplomat, ready to rip her to shreds, but she disappeared in a cheap puff of smoke. A high heel to the small of the demon's back alerted her to the vampire's location. She channeled her rage into wrath, giving it sight and direction. She allowed Lenore to get several pot shots in while she closed her eyes and mentally analyzed the vampire's vicious fighting patterns. Hector was right about her speed and strength; however, no vampire in existence could come close to rivaling the speed and agility of a demon. 

Just as the manipulative diplomat thought she was about to land her killing blow, Cassandra jumped overhead and latched onto the ceiling. Her black skin worked to her advantage, allowing her to blend into the shadows; her multitude of glowing eyes being her only disadvantage if she wasn't careful.

"Where are you, bitch! How dare you steal him from me! He's mine! He swore loyalty to me first! You can't have him!" Lenore screeched, forcibly kissing the emancipated pet.

Hector pushed her off of him with moderate effort and drew his sword, pointing it at her heart. "I don't belong to you, Lenore. I belong to Cassandra of my own free will. Unlike you, she didn't trick me."

"Whore, I will destroy you for breaking my treasure's spirit," the demon growled.

The vampire looked up but was too late to make a move against the demon's wrath. She collapsed under the weight of the muscular creature, ribs snapping and piercing several organs. For the first time since she could remember, Lenore felt genuine, blood chilling terror as she stared directly into the face of pure, unadulterated wrath. Lenore panicked and clawed at the demon's face but got her fingers bitten off instead. While she was distracted by the shock of losing her dainty fingers to the teeth of her adversary, a clawed hand wrenched itself into her mouth and brutally tore out her precious fangs. Without them, her ability to transform or use cheap tricks to manipulate and control her environment and those within it effectively disappeared. The master manipulator vainly wriggled beneath the demon, eyes widened in fear of the lightning fast speed at which she took the sword from the human.

"You can't have him," Lenore stubbornly protested. "Even if you kill me, he still belongs to me." 

"Only _real_ people belong to each other," Cassandra wrathfully sneered, weaponizing the vampire's own condescension against her.

Lenore screamed and cried out for Hector to help her as the demon humiliated her body with his sword, ripping through her cold warmth as easily as she ripped away his autonomy. When the sadistic demon tired of brutalizing Lenore's source of diplomacy, she tossed the weapon back to its owner and eviscerated her with her bare hands. Cassandra's jealous rage overcame her as she got a good, close look at the face of the master manipulator. Her singular goal turned to erasing her from all of existence in the most painful, humiliating way possible.

Cassandra began by tearing wads of auburn from the vampire's scalp, relishing in her useless crying. Lenore begged for mercy as demonic claws punctured her crimson eyes, effortlessly tearing them out of the sockets. Scarlet tears flowed down the manipulative diplomat's cheeks as the sadistic demon clawed her face to shreds. The demonic woman sadistically grinned as she kissed the vampire, using her demonic sensuality as a weapon to coax the other woman's mouth open. As the demonic kiss deepened, Cassandra bit Lenore's tongue out and spat it in her face. The vampire fearfully whimpered when ram-like horns hammered her mutilated face, obliterating what remained of her beauty.

"When I said that I was yours, I had no intention of being your slave," Hector coldly said to the dying vampire prior to cleanly decapitating her.

As a final humiliation to Hector's manipulative mistress, Cassandra stripped her naked and hung her upside-down from the rafters by her own guts. She tore the vampire's rotten heart out, forced it into her crushed mouth, and stuffed her disembodied head into her hollowed out abdominal cavity. "Let's go, Hector," she harshly ordered. "I smell the mastermind."

The couple proceeded down the corridor and were halfway through their journey when Carmilla and several guards ambushed them. The guards were no problem for her and the Forgemaster to vanquish; however, Carmilla was another issue to contend with altogether. She was stronger and faster than Lenore. Despite having her guard up, she was bested several times when she attempted to tear the mastermind to shreds. Cassandra grabbed onto the other woman's wrist when one of her horns fell into the wrong hands, sacrificing her dominance in order to protect her dignity as a demon. She paid a cruel price for laying on the floor in a fetal position, nursing the injured horn's fiery eyes.

"Demon bitch, it belongs to us. It's our slave," Carmilla hissed as she repeatedly kicked the demonic woman in her rear heart.

"Hector is no one's slave," she choked out between pained breaths. She looked at the Forgemaster, painfully desperate for him to help her despite his abject fear of Carmilla's violent power.

_Hector, please... my dignity and your freedom..._

He understood what she needed via the link they forged and gave a tiny nod. He made sure that Carmilla was still preoccupied with Cassandra as he snuck up behind her in an attempt to run her through with his sword. Unfortunately for him, she sensed his presence and turned her cruel attention on him instead. This time, Hector didn't back down when he was dealt vicious blows by the mastermind. Seeing him fighting back with equal brutality gave her an overwhelming sense of pride, even though he was losing against her. His still weakened state worked against him despite his valiant efforts, which led the contractor into having to take drastic measures in order to secure his freedom. 

Cassandra rose to her feet and snatched Hector from Carmilla's vicious beatings. "Is this how you treat someone that you wish to benefit from?" Cassandra asked.

"It's inferior. I will treat it how I want," the white haired vampire shot back. "Return it to me immediately. It still has work to do."

"I refuse."

Carmilla prepared to attack but the contractor thwarted her by using Hector as a human shield. "He's no good to anyone if he's dead." She dug her sharp claws into Hector's chest and gripped his fearfully beating heart. "By any means necessary, my beautiful treasure," she whispered as she gifted him with a kiss tasting of her own blood. He lurched forward as the contractor tore his heart out, consequently breaking the spell attaching him to the cursed ring. She tore the object free from his finger and threw it at Carmilla with enough force to knock out one of her fangs. 

"You fucking bitch! How dare you!" she shrieked, clutching her bleeding mouth. 

The onyx skinned demon pounced on the mastermind and pried her mouth open, tearing out the other fang. From there, she made quick work of ending the vampire's existence by ripping her heart out, followed by her spine. As a finishing touch, she twisted her head off and crushed it beneath her feet. 

The demon had no time to waste worrying about the remaining half of the sisterhood. She had to get home _now_. She held Hector's lifeless body close as she rushed out the door to the outside world.

"Where do you think you're going?" an accented voice demanded.

Cassandra turned on her heel and was met with the sight of a vampire much larger than her and another one with a more exotic, feminine appearance.

_The lovers._

"He is worthless to you as labor or food." Cassandra held the Forgemaster's limp body up by the back of the neck, revealing a hole in his chest where his heart should be. "From one warrior to another, I appeal to you to let me pass, and I'll let you live."

"What's in it for us?" Striga asked.

"There is another Forgemaster fanatically devoted to Dracula with a growing army of night creatures approaching your castle on a mission of revenge against Hector. You have two choices: Defend yourselves with what little you have at your disposal, or flee and establish your own territory where you wish."

The vampire lovers whispered amongst themselves, determining what is most beneficial to them. "How do we know that you're telling the truth?" Morana skeptically inquired.

The demon growled and opened a window, commanding it to show them Isaac. The vampires gasped in shock at what they witnessed inside the space-time rift.

"It's in the next village over," Striga murmured. "That's at most a day's journey from here." The warrior and her lover made a united decision to let the demon and her cargo leave on the condition that she tell them what happened to their sisters.

"I killed them."

"Saves us the trouble," Striga said.

"We never saw you," Morana added as she and her lover disappeared into the fog.

Cassandra carefully placed Hector at her feet and proceeded to conjure a doorway to her world. She scooped up the Forgemaster's body as lavender flames formed a dome around them. The flames turned white, concealing them as a door opened beneath them, sending them to Hell.

"I am a number without a name," Cassandra whispered to Hector's heartless body. "And, I am in love with you."

~~•~~

Hector awakened in a sunlit, airy room with the horned woman curled up next to him. He stared into the demon's violet eyes and took notice of the reptilian appearance of her pupils now that they were no longer glowing. His momentary distraction ended when he realized that he was alive when he should be dead. "What happened to me?"

"I'm sorry for killing you, but it was my last resort in order to free you." She placed her hand on his tanned chest and the other on her side just under her right breast. "I gave you one of my hearts so that you could live to enjoy your freedom." She summarized the chain of events that occurred after she broke Lenore's curse over him. She proved that she did, indeed, follow all of his orders by showing him her bare middle finger.

"Even if you did tell me, I didn't hear a single word you said," the Forgemaster pointed out.

Cassandra cupped Hector's face in her hands, her remaining heart racing as his ice blue eyes met hers. "I'm a number without a name, and I'm in love with you and have been for as long as I can remember," she said softly, tenderly kissing him. Overwhelmed with the sheer joy of having the man she loves with her, she tightly embraced him and affectionately nuzzled her horns under his chin. 

When Hector kissed the crown of her head, he realized why the onyx skinned demon started rubbing her horns against him the way that she did. "Has this been your way of telling me that you love me without breaking the rules?"

"Yes. It's a sign of affection among my people," she replied. "I want to keep the name you gave me. Contractors are given numbers instead of names as a way to distance ourselves from the people without forgetting where we came from. I have purged the unnatural emotions from myself, and I've retired from contracting. I can have my own name now." 

"I feel like I'm enslaving you. I don't want to have that kind of power over you," the revived man protested.

"This is _my_ decision, Hector," Cassandra insisted. "I have as much power over you as you do over me. We dominate and submit to each other of our own free will. In Hell, we are considered lovers."

"I considered you my lover before you killed me, and I still do as we speak."

She laced her fingers through his, eyes glimmering as she intently stared at the contrasting darkness of their skin. "Your skin is so beautiful, Hector. It is the color of the setting suns." She kissed each of his fingertips, feeling his pulse rise beneath her own. "Your eyes are the most beautiful color blue. There's no place in Hell that shade can be found. I am yours, Hector. I will always be yours, and I will always love you."

"I'll always be yours, and I'll always love you, Cassandra," Hector sincerely replied, gazing intently into her reptilian eyes. "Your eyes are strange and captivatingly beautiful. I wanted to tell you that when I woke up because that was the first thing that I saw."

"Am I to be flattered and insulted?" she teased.

"Flattered."

The pair collided in a loving kiss that belonged solely to them. As the love ignited into passion, the obsidian skinned woman climbed on top of her lover and teased him as she teased herself, giving him a prime view of her demonic sensuality. She invited him to touch her as she touched herself while she tantalized his aching arousal. Just as he was about to lose control, she impaled herself on him, grinding her hips down hard on his. They were in _her_ world now, and she was going to show him the animalistic sensuality demons are well renowned to possess. She took every throbbing inch of him in, all the way to the hilt as he begged her to possess him like the demon she is. Her undulating hips combined with the violet passion in her hypnotic eyes freed him of his pent up desire. She never broke from her hypnotic pace as she leaned down to kiss him. 

"You are mine, my love, Hector, and I am yours," she whispered darkly.

Hector coiled his arms around the wild woman and rolled her over onto her back, having succeeded at usurping her dominance. " _You are mine_ ," he responded. "And, I will _always_ be yours, my love, Cassandra."

The Forgemaster subdued the demon by targeting her weakness with gentle touches to her curled ram-like horns. He zeroed in on the next weakness and worshipped her long, obsidian legs, mercilessly teasing her before moving on to the rare, exotic delicacy she offered to him. The demon's violet eyes fluttered closed as waves of pleasure hit her with every gentle roll and flick of the Forgemaster's tongue. 

"I can't take it anymore, Hector," she moaned.

Her worshipper seductively trailed kisses up the blackened surface of her abdomen, taking a detour at each of her shapely breasts before continuing to her lips. His ice blue eyes pierced hers as he pierced what made her a woman. His slow burning passion built into a wildfire with every steady, fluid thrust. She cried out his name when he chose to combine power and tenderness as he buried himself deeper and deeper inside her, flooding her with the heat of passion.

The gray haired man pulled out and placed his demon lover in a much more submissive position. If she wanted power, then he would show her just how powerful he could be. Hector slipped inside Cassandra, teasing her at first, then quickly dominated her before she could take control over him. She ground her backside against his deep, hard thrusts, gradually shifting the power dynamic between them to her favor. She reached back and grabbed a fistful of gray waves and threw him onto his back with a mischievous grin on her face.

Hector regained control and laid the feral beast out on her back. "So, _this_ is how demons make love?"

"Yes, make love to me, Hector."

The human roughly penetrated the demon and found himself trapped in the vise grip of her thighs. He asserted his power over her, driving his authority in deep. Even though he knew that his absolute control over her was an illusion, it still made him feel like a god. _She_ made him feel like a god, especially when she called out his name with every hard, fast, powerful thrust. 

The Forgemaster gazed down at the demon he loved as she ecstatically writhed beneath him. The genuine expression of adoration on her face as they made love filled him with sublime joy. He laced his fingers through hers, pulling her onto his lap. She quickly wrapped herself around him and resumed where _she_ left off prior to being dominated. The two moved as one love locked passionate unit. They held each other closer as she took him in deep, all the way to the hilt. His wandering hands roamed up to her horns, the result of which being a howl of rapture from his demonic goddess' sultry voice. Every part of her constricted him like a starving python. The passionate human grabbed a wad of indigo and feverishly kissed the euphoric demon until he cried out in ecstasy when her hungry flesh consumed _all_ of what makes him a man. 

"Hector, how long has it been since you've seen the sunlight?" the naked demon asked her spent lover.

"It's been months," he replied with a hint of melancholy in his voice.

"Close your eyes, and come with me," she whispered, leading him through geometrically patterned double doors.

As soon as the gentle, warm breeze greeted the couple, the demon allowed Hector to open his eyes. He drank in the surreal, subtropical landscape and the houses built into the cliff sides in order to preserve it. His eyes wandered to a pair of bronze suns setting in the fading silver sky. "It's beautiful." 

The retired contractor wrapped her arms around Hector's waist and nuzzled her horns under his chin, happily smiling when he kissed the crown of her head. "Welcome to Hell. You'll find no tortured souls here."

**Author's Note:**

> I've updated my Black Butler fic, Unnecessary Secrets. Go check out the series if you're up for an epic.
> 
> I was listening to Mr. Strange when I wrote this. If you know who they are, you get a cookie.


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